<C-r>={expr}<CR>
The expression register ("=) lets you evaluate any Vimscript expression and insert the result directly into the buffer — all without leaving insert mode.
:let @a = 'text'
Vim's :let command lets you assign a value directly to any named register without performing a yank or delete operation.
registers #registers #macros #vimscript #ex-commands #normal-mode
:put =execute('{cmd}')
The :put =execute('{cmd}') idiom inserts the output of any Vim Ex command as text in your buffer.
registers #registers #ex-commands #command-line #normal-mode
"_d{motion}
Vim's black hole register (") acts as a write-only sink: anything sent to it is discarded without affecting any other register, including the unnamed register (
:put =system('cmd')
:put =system('cmd') lets you insert the output of any shell command as new lines in your buffer without leaving Vim.
:g/pattern/d A
Using :g/pattern/d A you can sweep through the entire buffer and extract every line that matches a pattern into register a, removing them from the buffer in the
:let @q = 'content'
:let @{reg} = 'string' directly assigns content to any named register from Vimscript.
5@q
Prefix the @ macro-execution command with a count to run the macro that many times in a row.
let @q = 'keystrokes'
Macros recorded with q{register} are stored in registers and lost when Vim exits.
"1p
Vim automatically stores your deletion history in numbered registers "1 through "9.
{N}@q
Prefix a macro invocation with a count to execute it up to N times in a single command.
:s/pattern/\=expr/g
Vim's :s command normally replaces matches with a literal string.
command-line #search #editing #ex-commands #command-line #registers
:let @q = substitute(@q, 'old', 'new', 'g')
When a recorded macro has a typo or needs a small tweak, re-recording the entire thing is error-prone.
:let @q = "dd"
Macros are just strings stored in named registers.
:let @a="text"
:let @{register}=".
qq{commands}@qq
A recursive macro calls itself at the end of its own definition, causing it to run repeatedly until Vim hits an error — such as reaching the end of the file o
:keepalt e {file}
Every time you open a file with :edit, Vim updates the alternate file register (#) to the previous buffer.
buffers-windows #buffers #ex-commands #registers #navigation
:let @/ = "pattern"
Assigning a string directly to the search register @/ with :let causes Vim to highlight all matches (if hlsearch is enabled) without performing a search or movi
"1p then u. to cycle through delete history
Vim silently maintains a rolling history of your last 9 deletions in numbered registers "1 through "9.
Record worker macro in @b, call it from @a with @b
Complex macros are hard to debug and maintain when crammed into a single register.
